Brandon Richard returns to Signal and Noise for his second appearance, joining Brian and Andrew in person at The Link Group’s Durham, North Carolina, office. The conversation picks up where their previous AI discussion left off, diving deeper into what has actually changed in the past few months and what has not.

As an AI enthusiast and healthcare research leader, Brandon shares how The Link Group approaches AI pragmatically. Rather than chasing every new tool, the team focuses on understanding core AI categories such as conversational surveys, synthetic data, knowledge management, and generative productivity tools. The number of vendors may be exploding, but the foundational capabilities remain relatively stable.

The episode also explores a bigger existential question for the research industry. If AI can generate longitudinal synthetic respondents and analyze business questions directly, what role does market research play? Brandon argues that the value of research lies not just in answers but in the collaborative process. The refinement of business questions and the strategic intuition researchers bring to the table are difficult to replicate with a single AI prompt.

Key Takeaways:

• AI tools are multiplying fast, but the core research use cases have not changed much.

• Synthetic data still makes the most sense as augmentation, not replacement.

• The magic of research is in the process, not just the answer.

• AI is most powerful as a thinking accelerator.

• If research becomes “question in, answer out,” the industry is in trouble.

If you loved the episode, have comments, or want to appear on the show, connect with us down below!

Connect with us:

• LinkedIn

• YouTube

• ROI Rocket

Connect with Brandon:

• LinkedIn
  

In this special in-person episode of Signal and Noise, the hosts sit down with Beth Finn, CEO, and Jason Ebbing, COO of The Directions Group, for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of insights leadership.

Beth and Jason share their career paths, how The Directions Group approaches integrated intelligence, and what it means to move beyond siloed research toward clearer signals that drive real business action. The discussion also explores data quality, speed to insight, pricing research based on value, and how artificial intelligence should support rather than replace human thinking.

This episode offers a candid look at modern leadership in the insights industry and how organizations can stay relevant as decision-making accelerates and expectations rise.

Key Takeaways:

• Clients are overwhelmed with data but still struggle with clarity and decision-making

• Integrated intelligence works best when multiple data sources are planned together from the start

• Research teams gain influence when insights are tied directly to business actions

• Data quality must be usable, credible, and actionable to create real value

• AI should amplify human judgment, not replace it, especially in strategy and leadership

If you loved the episode, have comments, or want to appear on the show, connect with us down below!

Connect with us:

• ⁠LinkedIn⁠

• ⁠YouTube⁠

• ⁠ROI Rocket⁠

Connect with Beth:

• ⁠LinkedIn⁠

Connect with Jason:

• ⁠LinkedIn

In this episode of Signal and Noise, Brian Lamar sits down with Frank Kelly, one of the most experienced voices in panel management, sampling, and respondent engagement, to unpack what is actually broken in online research and how the industry can fix it.

Frank reflects on nearly four decades working across every major panel model, from postal and telephone panels to online access panels at Nielsen, Kantar, Ipsos, and now Virtual Incentives. He explains why today’s fraud and data quality challenges are not new problems, but the result of incentives, engagement, and trust being systematically undervalued for years.

A central theme of the conversation is compensation. Frank makes the case that low incentives drive fraud, disengagement, and professional respondents, while fair and meaningful incentives expand the pool of real people willing to participate. He challenges the assumption that higher incentives automatically increase fraud and explains why the opposite is often true.

The discussion also explores how conversational AI, video, and smarter profiling can radically improve panel quality if paired with the right incentive strategy. Frank outlines a future where premium panels support deeper qualitative work, smaller samples, and AI-powered synthesis, all while maintaining higher standards of validation and trust.

Key Takeaways:

• Low incentives shrink the respondent pool and invite fraud

• Fair compensation expands access to real, engaged participants

• Incentive strategy is as important as fraud detection technology

• Conversational AI and video can improve quality when paired with better pay

• Premium panels will be essential as big qualitative research grows

If you loved the episode, have comments, or want to appear on the show, connect with us down below!

Connect with us:

• LinkedIn

• YouTube

• ROI Rocket

Connect with Frank Kelly:

• LinkedIn